Victory Tonight
by PianoPlayer1200
Summary: Eren's just the freshman quarterback trying to get through high school . But an encounter with the Cheer Captain changes everything . Ereri High School AU Football Player! Eren & Cheerleader! Levi .
1. Chapter 1 - New Chapter

Chapter One – New Chapter

The crowd was roaring loudly, stomping their feet and clapping their hands. The announcer was shrieking, static echoing throughout the field. On the sideline several pairs of eyes watched intently, hope and fear bleeding from each one. It seemed as if time had slowed down in that moment, details that were often missed noticed for once. Beneath a shadow of heat determination rolled in, baring its head and snapping at the others around him. A shrill whistle blew and time returned to its normal pace. A quick flash and movement; there was no time to second guess anything or to overthink. He heard the yells as he quickly scanned past the clashing groups and snapped his hand back.

The ball soared over their heads, the players momentarily stopping to watch. Beaming he watched as it made a slow, clean arc and made its way to its destination. He quickly scanned the crowd and his eyes fell on a figure that was clouded by the lights of the field. An overwhelming sense of love and acceptance flooded him and he turned in time to see the ball land cleanly in –

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Eren Jaeger sat up abruptly in bed, eyes shooting wide open. His mind was still foggy as he waved his hand around on the nightstand to shut off his alarm. It took him about a minute to find it, all the while the alarm wailing as if pleading for its life. Once it was quiet he let out a long sigh and buried his face in his hands. Man what a dream. He fiercely rubbed his eyes and threw his arms overhead, shoulders popping slightly.

Wait a minute.

His head jerked up and he realized the importance of the day. He yanked his blankets aside and scampered into the bathroom, tearing off his clothes as he went. Seconds later he was standing underneath cold water that was _being too damn slow_ to warm up. He hopped around for a second until finally the water became warm and he relaxed. A loud knocking brought him out of his reverie and through the stream of the water he could hear his mom hollering.

"Eren sweetie hurry! You don't want to be late for your first day of high school!"

He yelled back a quick, "Okay Mom!" before continuing on with his shower. He jumped out and attempted to brush his teeth and hair simultaneously. Successful he threw his towel aside and pulled on some boxers and what appeared to be some clean jeans. _Remember dressing to impress_ he thought to himself as he rummaged through his closet. Smiling he shrugged on a denim shirt and swiftly buttoned it. He threw some sneakers on and grabbed his backpack as he ran out of his room.

The kitchen smelled like blueberry pancakes when he rushed in, the smell seeming to seep out into the rest of the house. He threw his backpack down and sank into a chair by the medium sized table. His mom smiled at him and happily chirped, "Aren't you excited baby? It's your first day of high school!"

Eren Jaeger was embarking on a new page in his journey. Today was his first day at Shiganshina High School, home of the Titans! He had been looking forward to this day since his middle school graduation and during the summer had fantasized about the next four years. It hadn't helped that he had spent five days a week there; when he had come back home his mind wandered off and he visualized how his days would go. His mother's warm voice snapped him back to reality as she slid a stack of pancakes to him.

He picked up his fork and took a bite, smiling with satisfaction. The main reason for his excitement was the fact that he was their new quarterback, or as their coach put it, the freshman superstar extraordinaire. He had been playing football since he could remember and his parents had been supportive through the years. The summer before eighth grade he had been playing with his league and, after their victorious game, had been approached by Coach Smith. He was impressed by his skills for someone so young and said that if he was interested the quarterback position at Shiganshina was his.

Of course, he could only play when the time came.

During his orientation he had ran into Smith and had agreed to take the position. And from then on Eren had been attending practices, rushing daily once he was let out of school to get to the high school. It had been difficult at first but he had adjusted quickly and now he was just as strong as the other guys. With the first home game on Friday he was slightly nervous; apparently no one in the school was aware of his grade status. But his Coach assured him everything would be fine and to not let the nerves get the best of him.

Easy for him to say.

Eren finished the last of his orange juice and jumped up from his seat. "Okay let's go!" he urged, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. His mom rushed forward and immediately began throwing her worries at him.

"Are you sure? You don't have to leave this early . . . Why don't you wait a while? There's really no rush! Wait let me fix your hair . . ."

"Mom!" he whined, dodging her hands as he slinked into the living room. "I'll be fine. Love you!"

His father was just slipping out the door. They clambered into the car and immediately took off. They were quiet at first but eventually his father picked up where his wife had left off.

"Eren, remember that high school is much different than middle school. The classes might be overwhelming at first and balancing football will be tough. Maybe you should –"

"Dad, seriously, you too? I'll be fine," he huffed, crossing his arms.

Chuckling his Dad turned onto the main street and smoothly navigated through the cars. "Alright then, I warned you."

Ten minutes later Dr. Jaeger was pulling up to their destination. Eren sucked in a deep breath and turned to his dad. "Thanks Dad, I'll see you after practice."

"I'll be here at 6 sharp. Have a good first day!"

Eren shut the car door and looked up, smiling. Shiganshina High towered over him, its title gleaming white in the sunlight. It was one of the oldest high schools in the district and its age was beginning to show. The bricks were slowly fading and its windows were becoming foggy from years of wear. The stone steps leading to its entrance seemed unaffected despite all the trampling it had encountered.

Nervously pulling on his strap he took another breath and joined the crowd rushing in. The school board had gotten funds to start repairs on the aging building and had started from the inside out. As he stepped in his turquoise eyes widened, amazed at the major difference from its outer shell. The floors were new, the tile clean and gleaming under the lights. The lockers were original but had recently been repainted and repaired. The walls had been repainted as well; several colorful posters already covered them, announcing the various clubs and welcome back activities going on that week.

He hadn't seen anyone from his middle school yet and he figured they were probably as lost as he was. Smiling he wandered through, trying to find his homeroom so he wasn't that idiot who stumbled in late. Minutes later he found himself back in front of the staircase leading to the Language classrooms when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Eren! Over here!"

He turned and scanned the crowd to see his best friend, Armin Arlert, dashing towards him. Grinning he began jogging in his direction. He waved fiercely and, once the two were close enough, engaged in their hand shake that they had made during childhood. Laughing they quickly hugged and faced each other. Armin's blonde hair had grown slightly longer over the summer and now grazed his shoulder. His blue eyes were wide as he glanced all around him.

"This is so surreal. We're in high school!"

Eren laughed and replied, "I know, after what felt like a long summer it's great!"

"It must be even better since you're playing football."

Eren sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, y-yeah I suppose so."

"Your first game is on Friday! Mikasa and I will be there, cheering you on like crazy!"

Their other childhood friend, Mikasa Ackerman, was also attending Shiganshina. Out of the three of them she was the quietest one and was always worrying over the two. He hadn't seen her much over the summer because she had gone to visit family in Japan and had only returned last week. Thankfully the three of them had gotten the same homeroom so they could start the day together.

The duo went on talking as they scanned the doors for their homeroom. Eventually they found it, luckily just as the bell rang. They exchanged nervous glances and hesitantly entered. A young woman was standing at the board, scribbling her name onto the board. She greeted them cheerfully and assured them to sit where they pleased. They settled in the back and watched as other nervous freshmen trickled in.

"Where is Mikasa? She is going to be late," Armin whispered nervously.

"I dunno. It's not like her to be late," Eren muttered, frowning.

Armin opened his mouth to reply but, right on cue, the bell rang and their friend dashed in, black hair fluttering about her as she skidded to a stop. The teacher gave her the same cheerful welcome and she rushed over to where her friends sat. Her black eyes examined them as she sat in between them and threw her bag onto the desk. She brushed her long hair over her shoulder and coolly said, "Fellas."

"We thought you were gonna be a no-show!" Eren said, grinning.

"You had us worried," Armin threw in, pouting slightly.

She rolled her eyes at him. The teacher, who was named Ms. Thomas, gave a quick introduction and proceeded to pass out their schedules. She allowed them to talk amongst themselves until the bell, smiling once more before settling down at her desk. Once they got their schedules the trio immediately began seeing what classes they had.

"Sweet! Armin we have Math together!"

"Aw Eren, you better not use me for homework . . ."

"Armin, we have English together."

"Oh cool Mikasa! We can edit each other's papers."

"Oooh Bio with you Mikasa!"

"Eren, don't mooch on me either."

"Aw, come on you guys!"

The bell rang and everyone nervously shuffled out, examining the map on the back of their schedules. The trio all had different first periods so they bade farewell and set off in different directions. Eren took a deep breath and followed the map to what he hoped was his Honors English class. He turned the paper around and cursed under his breath. Thankfully he managed to find the class and slipped in and settled in the back. As the teacher introduced himself and explained the course Eren gave a sigh of content and couldn't stop the grin on his face.

_Let's get my first day of high school started._

**Another Ereri High School AU haha . This one , along with ****_The Project_**** , have been in progress for quite some time now . I'm the kind of person that , when it comes to writing , loves to tackle different projects at the same time . So I will be working on both simultaneously . But don't worry ! I'm making sure that they aren't similar in any way so you all won't be stuck reading the same story in the same AU but with different storylines . So let me know what you think about it ! Leave a review and let me know what you liked , disliked, what I should work on , etc . I'll see you all next week !**


	2. Chapter 2 - Hail Mary

Chapter Two – Hail Mary

Eren's first week of high school went by in a blur. The first two days were mainly just introductions, with each teacher explaining the course and expectations. Ice breakers were especially common; Eren had never hated games and getting to know people more in his life than now. Football practice had been ramped up due to the game on Friday and Eren often arrived home exhausted and sore. He barely had enough energy for dinner and to shower so he often did both quickly before collapsing into bed. Armin and Mikasa were beyond ecstatic for his debut and reminded him daily.

But eventually, the big day came. He awoke a little bit earlier so he could put more time into getting ready. He took a long shower and make sure to get as many strands of his brown hair as possible. He scrubbed every single inch of his body and stepped out of the shower feeling brand new. He had ironed his jersey over and over again, nervous that he would miss a spot and end up with a wrinkly jersey. His mother had scolded him, for both ironing repeatedly and ironing his _jersey_.

"Sweetheart, it's going to get ruined on the field anyway," she reprimanded him.

He slipped on some black jeans and Converse and grinned at himself in the mirror. He ran a hand through his forever messy hair and bounded down the stairs. Carla Jaeger was in the kitchen preparing a large breakfast for her son. When he entered the kitchen she placed bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, and waffles in front of him. His father sat across from him, sipping thoughtfully on his coffee.

"Good morning sweetie! The big day is finally here!"

He stifled a yawn as he began to eat, his mind running at a million miles an hour. His father set his coffee down and sighed.

"How are you feeling, Eren? Are you nervous?"

Eren made a sound that was meant to represent sorta. He waved his hands to signal it and picked up a strip of bacon. His mother placed a glass of orange juice down and he happily took a sip from it. Once his mouth wasn't full he replied to his father's question.

"I'm okay. It's my first game so of course I'm nervous. All eyes are on me."

"Well don't worry honey, we'll be there supporting you," his mother beamed at him.

"We'll be there every step of the way," his dad echoed.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it."

He took another sip of his orange juice. "I love you both."

Both his parents smiled and replied with "I love you too" before his dad announced that they should go. Eren couldn't sit still the entire ride; he was completely anxious for the game. His father kept reminding him to take deep breaths and not to worry too much.

"You've been practicing a lot for a reason, son. You'll be fine."

Many students shot glances in his direction as he strolled through the hallways. No one knew who the quarterback was; could this freshman kid be him? He tried hard not to appear nervous as he made his way to the courtyard where many of the jocks usually hung out. The Cross Country runners were hanging out at their usual table, chatting about the upcoming invitational that weekend. The girls' volleyball team seemed to be gossiping about the new coach, an attractive young man who had been a star in college. The football players were spread out among a series of benches, with the seniors in the front and the newer players in the back.

When they spotted Eren they all immediately called out his name and began to whoop loudly. Chuckling he approached the benches and began fist bumping each of them. The captain, Mike, seemed intimidating because of his height but he was well known for being a really nice guy. He playfully punched Eren's shoulder before asking, "Are you ready for tonight?!"

Eren grinned. "You betcha. I'm nervous but I'll be alright."

"The only thing you need to be nervous about is fucking up."

It had been Jean Kirstein who had spoken. He was a junior and the co-captain, which meant he was a shoe in for being captain next year. He was known throughout the school for being extremely blunt and always speaking before thinking. Despite this fact he was admired by many people, but it might just have been because he was really good at football. Eren really didn't like his bluntness but put up with it because, well, he _was_ co-captain.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Kirstein."

Jean merely chuckled before sitting back down on the bench. Eren set his backpack down and collapsed in between Mike and Gunther, another senior. The football players were talking about some party coming up in the next coming weeks but Eren tuned them out. He wanted to just focus on the game so he wouldn't get distracted. Several of the volleyball girls were whispering and glancing in his direction. He flushed and looked away.

What was that about?

The guys had joked that once the school found out that Eren was the quarterback a lot of girls would be all over him. They told him it was a burden but that he would enjoy it, no doubt. He had laughed it off but deep down there was something _off_ about it. Normally the thought would have excited him but for some reason it wasn't as exciting as it seemed. Girls were awesome, right?

Sometimes he had to remind himself that.

A sophomore named Reiner had gotten some school breakfast but was passing it around because he wasn't hungry anymore. All the time before the bell rang was spent deciding who got what. Eren was still laughing as he made his way to his first class, excitement beginning to bubble in his chest.

The game wasn't slated to start until seven but the players didn't need to be back until six. They all agreed to get something to eat beforehand; Mike announced that it was only tradition. A series of arguments began over where to eat but Jean ended them quickly by stating that the first game dinner was held at Denny's. It was silent for a moments but eventually everyone began talking again, Connie Springer, a fellow freshman, bounded over to Eren's side and bumped his shoulder playfully.

"You nervous, Eren?"

It seemed that was the question of the day. He sighed and shrugged. "I think by now I'm fine. Once I get on the field I'll be in the zone."

Connie was awestruck; they had gone to the same middle school and had even played some football together. But he had never known how determined Eren was. He gaped at Eren for a second before clamping his jaw shut and casually asking what he was going to order. Thankfully the Denny's was just down the street from Shiganshina so they arrived in about ten minutes. The manager recognized most of the football players and he happily greeted them as they all shuffled in.

They were set in a table in the back, far from the other patrons. The drink orders were placed and the conversation quickly turned to the game. Mike and Jean began going over plays just to remind them so they didn't clam up during the game. Eren had spent countless hours memorizing the plays so that he wasn't held responsible if something went terribly wrong. After the orders were taken the atmosphere became light. Connie began asking Eren about his classes and it turned out the two had Spanish together.

The manager had told the cooks not to take too long with their orders and after about twenty minutes their meals arrived. Mike had encouraged them to order as much as they wanted, since they needed the energy anyway. They all grinned and dug in happily. Eren munched on his Grand Slam with ease, trying hard not to psyche himself out too much. Somehow they managed to spend an hour and a half at Denny's and it was time for them to head back to campus.

Everyone became quiet after that. The walk back was painfully silent and yet it seemed as if everyone understood that they had to be. Coach Erwin welcomed them back and they rushed to get their padding and helmets on before settling in the gym. Eren's heart was racing so fast he didn't even know it was possible. He proudly had the number 30 emblazoned on his back, a white contrast to the forest green jersey. There was a pause before Erwin began to address them.

"Alright, it's our first game of the season. We've been practicing all summer for this day! Remember the plays but most of all remember your teammates. Yes, we are here to win but we are nothing without each other. Now . . . Let's go play some football!"

The boys roared in agreement and took off running towards the field. Eren could hear the yells of the stadium as the announcer declared the Titans had arrived. They took their place on the field and got into positions to begin stretching. Mike and Jean were in the front, standing proudly as they called out different stretches. Eren nervously scanned the crowd and found his parents sitting in the middle, with Armin and Mikasa by their sides. They were watching him eagerly and upon noticing his stare flashed him thumbs up. He chuckled to himself and kept on with his stretches.

Their first opponent for the season was Stohess High, a school on the opposite side of town who were fairly good at football. They were known for being a decent team but could, if needed, play beyond their expectations. Their scarlet uniforms were neat and clean but they wouldn't remain that way for long. The referees blew their whistles and both teams huddled around their coaches. Erwin glanced at all of them and gave a slow nod.

"Remember what I said. We got this, boys!"

The players who were starting rushed off to take their place. Eren turned to go but was stopped by a firm grip on his arm. Perplexed, he looked over his shoulder back at Coach Erwin. His blue eyes had a glint of something but he couldn't place what it was.

"Eren. It's your first game. Remember all the training you've gone through. You got this."

Blinking he nodded furiously before dashing off to his place. Erd, a senior who was close with Mike, was the center. He was crouched down in position and was waiting for Eren's cue to snap the ball. There had been a coin toss and the Titans had won, which meant that they started with the ball. Eren jogged over and placed himself behind Erd, glancing around fiercely at his teammates. He sucked in a deep breath and called out the plays, before yelling "Hike!"

Erd snapped the ball and Eren caught it swiftly, the ball molding perfectly into his hands. The plays were working out in his head and he turned to the left in time to see Reiner slightly ahead, hands ready to catch the ball. He threw the ball cleanly and watched as it landed in his teammate's arms flawlessly. Sighing he watched as he ran 5 yards before getting tackled. The crowd cheered, happy to see the Titans off to a good start.

The players all assembled again and Eren called out a slightly different play. He was slightly nervous for this one; during practice he had often struggled with carrying it out. He pushed the thought aside and let out a hoarse "Hike!" before catching the ball and scanning for Jean. The defense was trying desperately to keep the opposing team at bay since the play required a bit of time. Jean was struggling to get away from a burly curly haired brunette and he shot Eren a desperate look.

He had to think quickly: he could wait and see if Jean outran the guy or see if anyone else was available. His eyes nervously flashed towards Coach Smith, who seemed calm despite the situation. _Make it quick, Jaeger!_ Jean had managed to lose the guy but one of the defense guys had slipped and a tall player was rushing towards Eren. _EREN!_

The ball flew out of his hands just as the player tackled him hard. The crowd gasped in perfect unison, wondering if the ball would even reach its target. But somehow, Eren had thrown it with enough force for it to reach Jean perfectly. He watched from the ground as Jean cleanly caught it and managed to run 10 yards. The crowd began to cheer again and Eren sighed in relief once again.

On the sideline, the Titan Cheer Squad watched with wide eyes. When Jean caught it they immediately began to scream, shaking their pompoms and kicking with excitement. From the front of the formation Senior Cheer Captain Levi Rivaille only had eyes on the quarterback. There had been whispers since the first day about this mysterious quarterback, and it turned out he was only a freshman. The cheerleaders had found out because Petra Ral was best friends with Gunther, who had given her the gossip about him.

"Tch. Not bad," Levi muttered under his breath as Kirstein caught the ball. The freshman was lying on the floor, freshly tackled and seemingly relieved that he hadn't messed up. It was difficult to get a good look at the kid because of his helmet but all he could make out was that the kid was in shape. Beside him, the Cheer co-captain, Hanji Zoe, yelled and turned to Levi.

"Damn, that new quarterback is amazing!"

"Yeah, yeah," Levi replied, sighing.

He began kicking along with the other girls and eventually called out a cheer. The girls passed along the word and turned towards the crowd to begin. The game continued on behind them, with Eren passing the ball cleanly and the Titans advancing. By the end of the first quarter the Titans were up 7-0, with Stohess struggling to keep up. There was a brief break before the start of the second quarter, during which Coach Erwin went over plays once again. He switched out some of the plays and sent them off back to the field.

Stohess had the ball this time so Eren was able to take a break for a bit. He sipped on his Gatorade and studied their quarterback. He was definitely quick on his feet but he struggled with thinking quickly. By the third time he called the plays the Titans were quicker and he was tackled to the ground, giving the Titans possession once again. He gulped down the rest of his Gatorade and ran onto the field.

They managed to score once again and by halftime it was now 14-0. Stohess was beginning to get disappointed but they weren't giving up yet. The Titans made their way to the locker room, passing by the crowd along the way. They were received with cheers and yells of encouragement, especially towards Eren. He grinned and glanced over at the sideline. He spotted the cheerleaders in their matching forest green uniforms, their skirts twirling with every move. The last thing he saw before heading into the locker room was a guy in forest green sweats and the Titans shell watching him with steely gray eyes.

In the locker room the guys high fived each other and gave compliments out. Eren received a lot of pats on the back and a couple of smacks to his butt. Flustered he settled on a bench and chugged down some Gatorade. Coach Smith strolled in and grinned at all the players.

"Great job boys! The season is starting off with a bang!"

The boys all rejoiced, waving their helmets in the air. They settled down and waited for their Coach to continue.

"Even though we're in the lead doesn't mean that we can just give up. We have to still give it our all. Stohess could pull something out of their sleeve so we can't get too cocky."

Everyone nodded solemnly. The last thing they needed was to be all excited, only to be defeated badly in the end. The rest of half time was spent relaxing, using the restroom, and quickly reviewing plays. Eventually the referees came in, stating that it was time to return. The boys gathered their helmets and made their way back to the field.

The crowd was even louder as they returned, cheering them on and hoping for a successful second half. Stohess had possession this time; once the whistle went off they began playing with their all. By the end of the third quarter Stohess had managed to catch up so the score was now 14–7. Eren was becoming anxious with every passing second. For the last quarter the Titans either had to score or play good defense to prevent Stohess from scoring again. Coach Smith had reassured him that everything would be fine and not to let the pressure get to him.

The Titans assembled and Eren called out a basic play. Erd snapped the ball and Eren immediately began searching for someone. Connie had managed to dash ahead and was a good distance away. Smirking, he tossed the ball at him but was horrified when a Stohess player jumped in front and caught it. Groaning he knew he was useless; where was defense when they needed it?! Thankfully Reiner managed to tackle the guy, knocking the ball out of his hand. The crowd let out a relieved sigh and Eren managed to relax slightly.

Despite the little scuffle the Titans were victorious, maintaining the score of 14-7. The two teams lined up to shake hands and, thankfully, there didn't seem to be any tension. The Stohess quarterback told Eren he was pretty impressed and he looked forward to playing him again. Grinning, he shook the rest of their hands and followed his teammates back to the locker room.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay for the first game of the season ! I absolutely LOVE watching American football (Go Ravens !) so most of what I wrote for the game is my basic knowledge of the sport . However , if any of you are confused or want me to explain anything shoot me a PM or mention it in a review . We got our first glimpse of Levi awww yisss . Expect more of him in the chapters to come . &amp; don't worry , Levi &amp; Eren will interact soon . Until next time everyone ! :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 3 - Hurdle

Chapter Three – Hurdle

The second week of school went by pretty smoothly. A lot of students approached Eren in the hallway and congratulated him on an excellent first game. Even some of his teachers had called him out during class to compliment his playing skills. Armin and Mikasa were constantly praising him and talking about "how cool he looked on the field." Despite their victory Coach Smith had ramped up their practices to prepare for their first away game against Jinae.

That Wednesday, once practice had ended Coach Smith ordered for them to huddle, as he usually did. The boys did as told and waited patiently for him to speak. His blue eyes scanned the small circle.

"As you all know, the first away game is this coming Friday. We'll be traveling to Jinae High."

The boys all nodded and murmured in agreement.

"Well this Friday there will also be a pep rally. Leadership organized it in order to spread awareness of not only the away game but the other wonderful sports teams. They asked me today if you guys would be so kind as to make an appearance."

"Oooh Coach, you mean like superstars?" Reiner snickered.

Erwin chuckled. "Well you guys sort of are athletic superstars here. But they also want you to help set up beforehand. I've already sent a message out to the staff informing them. However, if any of your teachers give you a hard time let me know."

A pep rally? Eren thought it sounded pretty exciting but an appearance? He wouldn't have to talk would he? What would he say? He thought about it nervously before Coach concluded practice and dismissed them. The boys all headed back to the locker room, chattering all the way. Mike jogged up to Eren and smiled down at him.

"Your first high school pep rally. Are you excited?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah it sounds pretty cool."

He looked up at the football captain. "Are they fun? I mean, you've gone through four years of them."

Mike chuckled. "I mean I guess? They're good for pumping up school spirit so I don't complain."

They went their separate ways afterwards. Eren quickly changed out of his practice clothes and ran out to the front of the school where his dad was patiently waiting.

Thursday's practice focused on mastering the plays. The day came to an end and Friday rolled around. Eren woke up super early again and took a long shower. He figured it would be something of a morning ritual for game days. Fall was just around the corner and it was becoming chillier so he pulled on a hoodie over his jersey. His mom cooked a large breakfast again and he happily ate it. His father came down in a rush and urged Eren to hurry because he had an important meeting that morning.

It seemed Armin was being dropped off at the same time that Eren was. The two greeted each other at the front entrance and did their handshake, grinning at each other. The blonde was chattering away about some assignment for his English class. Eren did his best to try and pay attention but his mind kept wandering to the pep rally. He was pretty excited to see the school spirit but also for the spirit teams that would be performing.

He dropped Armin off at his locker and waved goodbye before walking to the courtyard. The guys were all hanging out as usual. Eren greeted them and sat next to Connie. Grinning he fist bumped Eren and leaned in closer.

"So I hear the cheerleaders are performing today."

Eren raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Aren't all the spirit teams?"

Connie nodded. "I heard they all usually do. But I was told the cheerleaders always put on a good show."

"Yeah by who? The rest of the guys?" Eren jerked a finger behind him.

The boy with the buzz cut laughed. "Nah. Do you remember Sasha?"

Sasha Braus had gone to middle school with both of them. Connie had known her since they were babies and the two had grown up together. They were inseparable and even now in high school they were always seen together.

Eren nodded, prompting Connie to go on.

"Well, she tried out for the squad at the beginning of the summer and made it. She's been telling me all about it."

Connie smiled goofily. "It's so cute how she gets all excited about it."

Eren raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers in front of his face.

"Earth to Connie! Stop fantasizing about your girlfriend!"

Connie flushed and punched Eren in the arm. "H-hey! She's not my girlfriend!"

He spent the remaining of the time trying to convince Eren that Sasha was just his friend. The brunette wasn't convinced and, rolling his eyes, told Connie he needed to get to class. He was hoping that fourth period would come quickly so that he could leave early for the pep rally.

Much to his dismay, his classes dragged on. By the time his fourth period class rolled around he was a bit drained and impatient. While his Spanish teacher went on about _niños_ and _niñas_ he could only think about the pep rally. Coach Smith had asked that they leave half an hour early. When the time came their Spanish teacher paused and informed Eren and Connie that they were free to go. The two boys jumped up, thanked her, and left.

It was their first time being in the gymnasium and they were awed. For an old school it was very large, with the words _Trost High Titans_ emblazoned in forest green in the center of the polished floor. The bleachers covered both walls of the gym and, due to the school improvement, were brand new and also the school color. The ceiling was pretty high as well, with several windows allowing natural light in. Leadership students were everywhere, running back and forth to ensure that everything was in place.

The football players were hanging out by the bleachers next to the girls' locker room. Coach Smith was in front of them and was apparently giving them orders. Upon seeing Eren and Connie he paused and then urged them to hurry up. They jogged over and sat down with the other boys.

"So apparently there was an issue with some of the equipment and the Tech students had to step in. The Leadership students are asking if you all could help set up the speakers and what not."

The boys all nodded in agreement. The student body president, a senior with a bowl cut, ran up to Erwin and muttered something to him. He handed over a piece of paper and then dashed off, yelling at other students as he ran. Coach looked it over and then sighed.

"Alright, Mike and Jean can go help Marlowe with the control system."

The two nodded and strode over towards Bowl Cut. Erwin went back over the list and flipped it over to the diagram showing where all the equipment needed to be.

"Erm, Eren, do you mind helping set up some speakers? Gunther can help you out."

"Sure Coach," Eren replied, standing up along with Gunther. Erwin explained where they needed to go and the two set off.

"I'll go grab the speakers from the Leadership room. You stay here and move the ones that are already here in the gym."

"Got it."

Gunther disappeared with a crowd of Leadership students while Eren made his way over to a corner. There were two speakers sitting there and he bent down to pick one up. Unfortunately the speaker was bigger than him, so he had no way of seeing around it. He would have to rely on what he could see from the side and hope that people would move out of the way. Coach Smith had asked he place them in front of the bleachers exactly in the center.

"Well, here goes," he muttered under his breath.

He cursed himself for only being five foot seven and hoped that one day he could reach six feet. He tried peering around the speaker but couldn't see anything. Sighing he continued on walking slow. Coach had suggested he walk to the center and then walk to the bleachers from there. After about five minutes he had reached the center and was turning around when he felt something hit him.

Well fuck.

Panicking, he tried seeing around the speaker while shooting apologies to whomever he had bumped into. He set down the speaker and continued with his flow of "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" until he was shocked into silence.

A memory flashed from the first game. The team was heading back into the locker room when Eren's eyes caught something. A pair of steely gray eyes watching him intently. The same pair of eyes were now glaring up at him. The apologies that had been flying from his lips abruptly stopped. He blinked, unsure of what to say.

_This guy looks like he's about to __**kill**__ me_ Eren thought to himself. He swallowed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm really sorry! I couldn't see anything because the speaker was so big. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have bumped into you! I'm sorry, it's just that –"

"You brat," gray eyes muttered, standing up.

Wait, why was the guy sitting on the floor anyway? Didn't he know that the Leadership students were running around frantically? It's like he was begging to get run over. Eren frowned and contemplated what kind of person the guy was. The serial killer expression had faded and was replaced with one of absolute boredom. Just like at the football game, he was wearing the Titans shell and forest green sweats. He raised an eyebrow and then sighed.

"You think that just because you're the hot shot quarterback you can just stomp on everyone?"

The color drained from Eren's face. Did people really think he was that cocky?

"What? No, I – Oh my God, no! Of course not! It's just that –"

"Tch. Don't even try to deny it. I get it."

Eren waved his hands around. "I think this is just a big misunderstanding."

Levi smirked. This kid got flustered real easily, didn't he? He loved nothing more than teasing the fresh meat. He crossed his arms and let out a long sigh.

"I figure I'll forgive you this once. I mean, you _are_ responsible for helping us win last week. But if you mess with me again . . ."

Eren opened his mouth to respond but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Well look what we have here. Looks like Commander Sparkles came to play."

Jean's leering voice floated over Eren's shoulder. He turned around to see Jean, Mike, Reiner, and some of the other football players huddled around them. The co-captain was staring at gray eyes with a gloating smile. His arms were crossed in front of his chest to try and create some intimidation. The rest of the players watched on with similar haughty smirks.

_Commander Sparkles? Does Angry Face know the guys? Is this how they greet each other? . . . Is this what the cool kids do?_ Eren watched on with nervous eyes.

Levi's eyebrow furrowed. Why did _Kirstein_ of all people have to be here right now? He had been in a perfectly good mood until Two Toned Hair over here decided to rain on his parade. Despite his small size he was perfectly capable of striking fear in others. I mean, he had just done it now with the quarterback brat, right?

"Well look who it is. The Idiot Joker and his crew of imbeciles," Levi sighed.

Jean stepped forward, temper flared. "What did you say?!"

"Did I stutter?"

_Okaaay_ maybe they weren't friends after all. Eren nervously surveyed the scene in front of him. Was he supposed to intervene? But what could he say? This was the _co-captain_ he was dealing with; if he pissed Jean off, Lord knows he was in for some hell. He glanced nervously over at the rest of the players. Mike seemed slightly annoyed with the exchange and sighed before slinking off. The rest of the guys stayed behind.

Jean narrowed his eyes. "We should get going, fellas. I can practically _smell_ the gay on him. Let's go before we catch it."

He turned to go. "God knows we don't need _him_ infecting our systems."

The football players stalked off and continued on with their duties. Eren blinked, still trying to process what had just happened. Had . . . had gray eyes just been bullied? Was he supposed to comfort him? He slowly turned towards him but was astonished to see that he was unfazed. In fact, he was picking at his uniform, trying to remove dirt and lint from it. Upon feeling Eren's wide eyes on him he looked up.

"What. Do I have something on my face."

Eren flushed and shook his head furiously. "N-no! It's just . . ."

The one thing about Eren Jaeger that was both a good and bad thing was that he never really thought things through. He was impulsive by nature; he often acted on his emotions. As a result he often spoke his mind without thinking of the consequences of his words. Armin often scolded him for it, saying that he should be more considerate of what he said. But Eren would always shrug and say it was better to tell the truth than a lie.

"I mean, didn't what Jean say offend you in any way? If someone talked to me like that I would sucker punch that motherfucker in a second."

Levi eyed the kid. He often viewed freshman as naïve and, quite frankly, stupid. But there was something different about this kid. The quarterback brat wasn't stupid; it seemed he caught on quick. He figured that was why Smith had made him the quarterback; football required quick thinkers. Also he wasn't afraid of expressing himself. Most freshmen were afraid of even stating a simple opinion so it was refreshing to see someone who was willing to do just that.

"I've been dealing with Jean since he was a freshman. It's no big deal."

He shrugged. "Also I've been dealing with that kind of shit since I came out. You learn to form a hard exterior against comments like that."

Well damn. Eren had bumped into this guy and pissed him off, expecting to get yelled at and possibly beaten up. But instead he was amazed and slightly impressed. This guy was one tough cookie. There was _something_ about him that was so fascinating, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was his attitude towards being bullied or just how he handled everything. _Maybe it was those steely gray eyes of his_.

Eren blinked and nervously cleared his throat. "Um, I'm still really sorry about bumping into you. I'm an idiot. Well, er, good luck . . .?"

He hastily picked up the speaker and waddled off as quickly as he could. Levi watched him walk away in amusement before sinking back to the floor to continue on with his stretching. Eren quickly set the speaker down and dashed off towards where Coach Smith was standing. He fought the urge to glance back at Gray Eyes and instead focused on preparing for the pep rally.

Leadership had gotten everything in place with just five minutes to spare. The other spirit teams were warming up and practicing their routines. The football players had all come back and stood in a half circle watching everything. Eren watched as the cheerleaders walked in, dumping their duffel bags in the bleachers before making their way over to Gray Eyes. He greeted them and they all sank to the floor to stretch as well.

The only cheerleader he recognized was Sasha, who looked cheerful in her green uniform. A petite blonde girl with big blue eyes was next to her, chatting away with a friendly smile. Another cheerleader had strawberry blonde hair and was talking to a guy who seemed to be the team manager.

Eren's eyes flickered over to a brunette girl with glasses who was babbling away to Gray Eyes. He seemed slightly annoyed but let her talk on anyway. The bell rang and everyone in the gym scattered. Bowl Cut dashed to where a microphone was set up while the Vice President, a girl with short messy hair, stood by the control system. She fiddled with some of the knobs and music began thumping out of the speakers.

Coach Smith led the players to the opposite side of the gym and they all sat behind the President. The spirit teams surrounded them on all sides, chatting happily about their first pep rally of the year. Some of the other athletic teams filed in and joined them. Students began walking in and taking their seats in the bleachers. After about five minutes the gym was packed and Bowl Cut decided to get started.

"HELLOOOOOO SHIGANSHINA HIGH! HOW ARE MY TITANS DOING TODAY?!"

All the students erupted into cheers and hollers. Eren was impressed by how pumped up everyone was.

"Are you ready for our first pep rally of the year?!"

The students cheered even louder. Bow Cut grinned and casually tossed the mic into his other hand.

"I'm Marlowe, your Student Body President. I'll be your MC for today. Are you all ready to get started?!"

The gymnasium roared with the sounds of the Titans. Chuckling, Marlowe stepped to the side and announced, "Let's kick things off with our Flag Team!"

The Flag Team stepped forward and waved at the crowd. Eren had to admit, he was pretty impressed with everything. Each of the spirit teams performed with such perfection it left him in awe. The Drill team went up next, followed by a quick hello from the Cross Country team. The Dance team performed afterwards with the girls' volleyball team announcing their next home game after.

Marlowe grinned and bellowed, "HEEEEERE'S YOUR TITAN FOOTBALL TEAM!"

The students went wild as each player stood up and lined up in the center of the gym. Mike was handed the mic with Jean standing by his side. Once the gym had died down he smiled and began talking.

"Hey everyone! I'm Mike, the captain and this is Jean the co-captain. Tonight is our first away game for the season!"

Jean was handed the mic. "We'll be playing against Jinae High. It would be awesome if you all could come to support us!"

Everyone began clapping for them. The two of them smiled and thanked them before stepping back. Eren smiled at the crowd and saw Armin and Mikasa beaming at him. Several other students were talking and glancing at him. He figured that since he was now known as the quarterback people would stare at him more now.

"Alright to wrap things up here is our awesome CHEER SQUAD! GO TITANS!"

The cheerleaders all stood up, pompoms waving in the air as they got into formation. Eren watched as Gray Eyes stood in the middle and waited for the music to start. A few seconds later a quick EDM song began playing and the cheerleaders began their routine. They were all sharp, hitting the moves perfectly and in synch. He couldn't lie, he was _really_ impressed by how fluid Gray Eye's movements were.

The song shifted and a Britney Spears song began playing. The cheerleaders quickly shifted into a new formation and went on performing. Gray Eyes had stepped back into the middle while the rest of the squad surrounded him in a square-like shape. The crowd cheered them on, with several names being yelled out in encouragement. The song changed into the next one with a sound of a record being scratched.

"Bass Down Low" by the Cataracts began playing and the cheerleaders rushed to the middle. Eren was slightly confused; was the routine over? The beat of the song was too slow so they couldn't dance . . . Connie, who was sitting next to him, leaned over and whispered, "They're gonna do some stunts. Sasha told me that the Captain, Krista, and Petra are flyers."

"They're huh?" Eren asked, but his question was then answered.

Six cheerleaders served as the bases, holding up one foot of each of the flyers. The flyers grabbed onto their shoulders as the person behind them, the backspot, counted out the movement. All three flyers managed to jump into their bases and up into the air simultaneously. The crowd looked on with wide eyes. Eren was surprised; each of the flyers made it look easy. Gray Eyes was in the middle with the petite blonde and strawberry blonde on each side of him. The two blondes put their hands up in a high V and began cheering "Go Titans!"

Gray Eyes' bases slightly bent their knees and proceeded to lift him to a full. Everyone in the bleachers went wild as he managed to stay in place as he was brought up high. And then, much to everyone's amazement, he grabbed his leg and went into a Scorpion.

Eren's mouth dropped. This guy was _insanely_ flexible.

Once he had pulled out of the Scorpion the bases bent their knees once again and he did a cradle. The two blondes also cradled, landing at the same time he did. Once the trio was on the ground they began cheering to a very enthusiastic crowd. They turned around and made their way back to the bleachers, a huge grin on each of their faces. Even Gray Eyes had a hint of a smile on his face. Eren watched as he led his team over to their duffel bags and they all huddled in a circle.

For some really weird reason, Eren Jaeger wanted to get to know the Shiganshina High Cheer Captain now.

* * *

><p><strong>So Eren &amp; Levi had their first encounter yay ! Expect waaay more in the upcoming chapters . Also I really didn't want Jean's bullying to go too far so I tried to keep it as PG as possible . I really didn't want to offend any of you :(<strong>

**But Jean will also play a major role later on ! Please let me know what you all thought ! Until next time :D**

**Also ! If there is anything that was confusing in this chapter (with the cheer routine especially) shoot me a PM . I've been a cheerleader for a long time so much of what I write comes from experience .**


	4. Chapter 4 - Flag on the Play

Chapter Four – Flag on the Play

The away game at Jinae was a success. The Titans managed to beat the all-boys school 14-7. It was a close game filled with interceptions and rough tackling. But thankfully the Titan boys managed to be successful and add another win under their belts. It didn't hurt that most of the school had made the hour drive to cheer on their team. Mikasa and Armin had carpooled with Eren's parents and had greeted him cheerfully after the game.

Monday rolled around and the start of another week began. As Eren walked around the school, from going to class or even to the bathroom, random students would come up to him. A lot of them congratulated him on another great game and praised his skills. One guy, a senior who TAed his English class, had commented, "For a freshman, you're not too shabby kid."

He wasn't sure if it was a compliment or an insult.

Tuesday and Wednesday flew by and Thursday arrived. As usual, practice was all about mastering the plays for tomorrow's game. After they were done Eren headed to the locker room and got changed quickly. Several of the players were glancing his way curiously as he headed back outside. He was about to question them when he heard a soft voice call his name.

"Eren. Hey."

He turned to see Mikasa standing a couple feet away, leaning on the wall. He was surprised to see her, especially since she had tae kwon do Monday through Thursday. She usually got home later than Eren. He cocked his head at her.

"Hey Mikasa. Don't you have tae kwon do?"

She shook her head, shiny black hair moving with the movement.

"No, my instructor got sick. He cancelled classes until Monday."

"Oh." He frowned. "That sucks."

She shrugged. "I guess."

"So . . . what are you doing here?"

Unlike Armin, Mikasa didn't really spend much time alone with Eren. She was usually busy with tae kwon do, schoolwork, or family affairs. The time that Eren spent with her was always with Armin tagging along as well. She shifted her feet and played with her signature red scarf.

"I was wondering if I could wear your jersey for tomorrow's game."

Eren stared at her, surprised by her request. Several football players began filing out of the locker room, clapping him on the back or shoulder as they said goodbye. It was a couple of minutes before he could actually walk over to Mikasa and give her an answer.

"Sure Mikasa. I don't see why not."

He grinned at her and then slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Oh shoot! Both of my jerseys are at home though. Can you stop by later or in the morning to pick it up?"

"Sure, sure," she assured him. "I'll stop by after dinner."

"Okay cool," Eren grinned at her again. "I'll see you after dinner then."

He turned to go, waving goodbye as he walked towards his ride. Mikasa watched him walk away and, once he was out of eyesight, she sighed and smiled dreamily. Ever since seventh grade Mikasa had been harboring a crush on Eren Jaeger. When she was younger the idea of even dating Eren absolutely _repulsed_ her. But now that they were older and the hormones were kicking in the idea actually seemed appealing.

She had been talking to Sasha about it, since the peppy girl was one of her closest girlfriends. Her eyes had lit up and she began clapping her hands excitedly once Mikasa had revealed her secret.

"Oh oooh! I know! You should ask Eren to wear his jersey!"

Mikasa had stared at her, confused. "Why would I do that?"

"Oh . . . You don't know?"

After Mikasa had responded that she was confused, Sasha smiled at her.

"Usually when someone wears a player's jersey it means that the two of them are together. Like, you're basically supporting your boyfriend."

The raven haired girl had flushed and began to trip over her words.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, silly! It's quite common! In fact, if I wasn't a cheerleader I would _totally_ be wearing Connie's jersey every game!"

Just as Mikasa had said, she stopped by after dinner to get Eren's jersey. His mother had just washed it and handed it over happily to the girl. She pulled the scarf closer to her as she quietly wished Eren good luck and a good night. He thanked her and she walked off, butterflies rushing around in her chest.

Eren was beyond excited Friday morning. He felt like the rush of game day would never cease. He quickly got ready, ate a quick breakfast, and then dashed out the door after his dad. There weren't that many students being dropped off at the time so he managed to avoid all the throngs of students. He was greeted by some of the volleyball girls upon entering, who all wished him good luck. Blushing, he thanked them and rushed over to the spot.

The football guys all stood up when he walked into the courtyard, greeting him loudly. He had barely sat down when, suddenly, all the guys formed a circle around him. He shrank down, confused by the action and squeaked out a confused, "Uhhh, guys?"

Reiner was the first to speak. "So, you and Mikasa, ey?"

Eren looked up at him, cocking his head to the side. "I'm sorry?"

_Boy is the kid naïve_, Jean thought to himself as he watched from the side. He sighed. _This kid isn't really that interesting. It's really only his athleticism that's notable. I mean, really, he's oblivious to everything else_.

The guys leaned in closer, causing Eren to lean back. Erd was the next to speak up.

"When were you planning on telling us?"

Bright green eyes stared back at the senior. They blinked slowly before there was a reply.

"Telling you what?"

All the guys groaned. Even Connie was beginning to become annoyed. Bertholt nervously shuffled forward and bent down so Eren could hear him.

"Um . . . The guys um . . . They um think that you and M-Mikasa are dating."

"WHAT?!"

The players all erupted into laughter while Eren sat there, face turning an unnatural shade of red. But why would they think that?! Mikasa was his _best friend_, there was no way in hell that he had feelings for her! The two had grown up together; if anything, she was like a sister to him. Once they had all calmed down he sucked in a breath and then glared at them.

"What the hell?! Mikasa is my best friend! Why . . . why would you think that?!"

Mike chuckled. "We saw her walking around in your jersey. It's basically a thing that you let whoever you're dating or into wear it."

The color drained from his face. Did Mikasa know that? He shook his head fiercely.

"We're not dating or anything, I swear. The two of us grew up together. She's like family."

He pointed at Connie. "Ask him! We went to middle school together! Everyone knew that Mikasa and I were just friends."

Connie nervously put his hands up. "H-hey now, it's high school. Things change man."

Eren grumbled under his breath and shook his head again.

"Really, though, nothing is going on."

The football guys groaned and continued on with pestering Eren about the supposed crush but he wouldn't budge. By the time the bell rang most of them were convinced that Eren, in fact, did _not_ have a crush on Mikasa. Connie jogged to his side and casually asked, "Are you sure there isn't anything there?"

It took everything inside of Eren to not punch Connie in the face.

"Hike!"

The Friday night lights beamed down on Shiganshina's football field. Their opponent for the night was Dauper High, a newly opened charter school that had an incredible football team. So far they had been undefeated but the Titans were hoping to change that. Coach Smith watched from the sidelines, analyzing the opposite team's plays so that during halftime he knew what to tell his team. Eren had just caught the ball and was waiting for Bertholt to get into position so he could throw the ball.

He saw a flash from the side but at the same time Bertholt had made it.

The ball was quickly thrown just as Eren was almost tackled. The tall, sweaty boy managed to run 3 yards before he was tackled hard. Reiner jogged over to help him up and worriedly asked if he was okay. Dauper was known to be a bit rough when it came to defense, and many suspected that was the reason they were undefeated. Not to mention that they were also pretty intimidating.

Eren frowned. The last thing he wanted was for the team to lose because they had been frightened. The second quarter was coming to a close and both teams were scoreless. Coach Smith was beginning to become worried. Would the Titans be able to defeat Dauper?

Three minutes later whistles were blown and both teams were headed to the locker room. As Eren passed by the bleachers he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Eren! Hey! Eren! You did so good!"

Mikasa was waving at him as he passed by, a giant grin plastered on her face. He waved back at her before he disappeared into the gym. Meanwhile on the sidelines, the cheerleaders had turned around so they could cheer on the boys as they departed. Levi had been scanning the crowd as usual until his eyes fell on something sort of . . . Well, _strange_.

There was a girl sitting in the bleachers that he didn't recognize. _Huh, must be a freshman than_ he thought. She had silky black hair that went down to the middle of her chest. Her cheeks were pulled up into a big smile that reminded him of a little girl who had just gotten a brand new Barbie. She was sitting in between two parents that he assumed weren't hers. She had no resemblance to them but they all seemed comfortable with each other. It wasn't until he noticed what she was wearing that the dots connected.

The number 30 was emblazoned in the front. She was wearing the Titans' away jersey.

A smirk slowly crossed onto his face. So, this girl was important to Eren somehow. She was wearing his jersey and sitting with his parents. And not only that, but she seemed really excited and _happy_ to see him. Was it possible she was the little brat's girlfriend?

Levi was pulled out of his thoughts by a loud voice in his ear. "Heeey Levi! Whatcha staring at?"

Hanji was hovering right next to his ear, grinning down at him. Sighing Levi pushed her away and jumped off his cheer box.

"It's really none of your business, Shitty Four-Eyes."

"But everything is my business! We're best friends, it's part of our contract!"

"What contract? What the hell are you talking about?"

Hanji giggled. "I'm going to the bathroom bye!"

Growling, Levi watched her walk off. Sighing his eyes flickered back over to the mysterious girl. He wanted to know who she was for some reason and he was determined to find out.

Unfortunately the Titans were defeated by Dauper 24-7. It was their first loss of the season and they were hoping it would be the only one. As was required for sporting events they lined up and shook hands with the opposing team. The Titans all wore bitter smiles as they stiffly congratulated the other team. The captain all but sneered at Mike but the taller blonde swallowed his pride and took his hand firmly.

Meanwhile, at the end of the line, Eren Jaeger was torn. He felt responsible for the loss and was taking the guilt for himself. Coach Smith had reassured him that it wasn't him, but the roughness of Dauper. But it was their first loss and he wasn't sure how to take it. Once the handshakes had been done they walked off the field towards the locker rooms.

After getting changed Eren solemnly walked out to the parking lot. His parents, Armin, and Mikasa were waiting at the car. Armin and Mikasa smiled at him and rushed forward. He wasn't in the mood to talk so he stayed quiet and let his friends speak.

"Hey Eren, don't worry it was one game. You did great!" Armin assured him.

Mikasa tugged nervously at the jersey. "Yeah, you were awesome. You will always be the best to us no matter what."

The words helped ease his anger a bit. He sighed and pulled them into tight hugs. The duo smiled up at him before turning to get into the car. Armin slid in, chatting enthusiastically with Eren's parents. Mikasa hesitated for a bit before slowly turning to face Eren again.

"I really did mean what I said. You're the best, Eren."

He couldn't help but smile. "Gee, thanks Mikasa."

She smiled back and the two jumped into the car. The three best friends then began discussing which movie to go watch that weekend. Despite the loss Eren was feeling better. It was just _one_ game, and besides, he had family and friends who were still supporting him.

* * *

><p><strong>I've heard that in a lot of Ereri fics Mikasa usually doesn't approve of Levi . This time around she sees him as competition ! If anything it won't be too major because in the end Eren is still her best friend &amp; she wants nothing more for him to be happy . Expect more Levi + Eren interaction next chapter right from the beginning &amp; for most of the chapter . In fact , the next chapter will mainly focus on the duo . Let me know what you all think &amp; if you have any suggestions for upcoming chapters !<strong>


	5. Chapter 5 - Interception

Chapter Five – Interception

Eren had been worried that the school would be giving him dirty looks as he walked in. But, surprisingly, a lot of students continued to tell him he played great. Many more also mentioned Dauper's "dirty playing" and told him that they deserved the win. That made him feel tons better. He thanked them all throughout the day, the guilt slowly disappearing from his chest. His first two classes went by rather quickly. During Math his teacher, Mr. Kenny, had asked him to run an errand for him.

"I need you to take this attendance form to the office. My internet is down and I can't submit the attendance."

"Sure, Mr. Kenny. I'll take care of that for you."

After given directions of where to go and what to say Eren set off. Thankfully Mr. Kenny was just reviewing the homework so he wouldn't miss anything too important. The halls were completely empty, with one or two students occasionally passing by. The Attendance Office was at the opposite end of the school, alongside the rest of the offices. Eren took his time getting there, since sitting in Math didn't quite sound so appealing right then.

He had just turned a corner when he spotted a familiar figure leaning against the wall a ways down. It hadn't spotted him yet. Eren debated whether or not to just turn back and take a different hallway. It would take him a bit longer but then he wouldn't be able to talk with the Cheer Captain. What was it about him that made him so nervous? He blamed his serial killer face . . .

Before Eren could turn around the senior looked up, locking his gray eyes with Eren's. A hint of a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Oi, it's you."

Eren hesitantly began walking towards him. "Yeah, it's me. Hi."

Levi continued to lean against the wall. "Ditching class now, are you?"

The brunette blushed. "What? No! I'm running an errand for Mr. Kenny!"

"Tch. The bastard must like you. He's a salty prick."

Eren couldn't argue with that.

"What are _you_ doing out here? Shouldn't you be in class, _Cheer Captain_?"

His attempt at sounding hard had failed. Levi fought back a snort and pushed himself off the wall.

"I'm a TA for Coach Rico. She doesn't really care what I do as long as I don't get in trouble."

Coach Rico was not just the cheerleading coach but the AP English Language teacher and the Dance teacher as well. She was known throughout the school for her awesome coaching skills and fun classes. It was no surprise that she was laid back about Levi wandering the school. Eren shuffled his feet nervously.

"Well I have to go. I need to finish this errand. Um, bye."

He began swiftly walking away. Just as he reached the corner he heard Levi call his name.

"Eren."

It was the first time Levi had spoken his name. Hearing it roll off from his lips started a reaction in Eren. His heart stuttered at an impossibly fast rate and his palms felt sweaty. _It's just because he's intimidating!_ he thought to himself, tugging at his shirt collar.

"Um, yeah?" he called back.

Levi took a step forward towards him. "Who was that girl wearing your jersey?"

Eren blinked. How did Levi know about that?

"Oh, you must mean Mikasa. The girl with long black hair right?"

"The very same one."

"She's my best friend. Almost like a sister, really. We've been friends since I can remember."

A smirk slowly graced Levi's features. A _friend_, huh? The kid did seem pretty indifferent about it. He had expected some goofy smile and for him to blabber on about the girl. But instead he got a simple answer without so much as a grin. _Almost like a sister, hmmm . . ._

"Oh, I see," he replied, turning to leave. He gave a halfhearted wave and headed back towards what Eren assumed was Coach Rico's classroom. He raised an eyebrow and, shaking his head, resumed his errand.

"Great job boys!"

Coach Smith was standing in the middle of the huddled football players. It was Wednesday night, and practice had just ended. The sun was slowly beginning to touch the horizon, creating watercolor clouds in the sky. The next game was against Rose High and it was going to be a home game. Practice had gone extremely well in his eyes.

"Tomorrow we will focus on plays for the Rose game. But before I let you go I have one announcement to make!"

He grinned at them all before continuing.

"We have a new manager for the team! She will be helping out Moblit, our waterboy, and also assisting with other duties! Everyone, say hello to Mikasa Ackerman!"

_Mikasa!?_ Eren's eyes widened as his best friend appeared from behind Coach Smith, quietly greeting the team. They all welcomed her and thanked her for helping out. Connie nudged Eren and whispered, "Look, it's your not girlfriend!"

He glared at Connie. "Not this again!"

Mikasa's eyes fell on Eren and she grinned. He weakly waved back at her. Coach Smith dismissed them then and they all gladly went to the locker room. Eren, however, stayed behind and walked up to his best friend.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning on becoming manager?"

She blinked. "I wanted to surprise you. Are you mad at me?"

"Mad?"

True, Eren was _completely_ baffled by this. But mad? That was stretching it a bit. He just hadn't expected Mikasa to go so far out of her way to assist the team was all. He cocked his head to the side as he realized something.

"Hey, but don't you have tae kwon do?"

"My classes are just on the weekends now. I have a lot of free time."

He figured maybe she would take advantage of that free time by going home and catching up with schoolwork. But hey, if she wanted to be team manager so let it be.

"Well okie dokie then. I'll see you later."

They hugged each other goodbye before he jogged off. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact but he was sure he would get used to it soon. Several of the boys whooped as he walked in, clapping him on the back and saying things along the lines of "so your girlfriend is helping out huh?" He just shrugged them all off and changed as quick as he could. All he wanted to do was jump in the shower and knock out.

"Hey Eren. Can I talk to you a sec?"

Coach Smith was running late from a doctor's appointment so the football guys were just hanging out in the gym. While they waited for his arrival Eren had sat down and started working on his English paper. Jean had walked over to him and crouched down so they were eye level. The freshman looked into the junior's eyes and cracked a smile.

"Sure Jean. What's up?"

Eren was so intent on focusing on the conversation that he failed to notice the various pairs of eyes on him. Reiner and Eld both fought snickers as Jean began talking to Eren about a "favor." Bertholt stood nervously next to his blonde friend and muttered about how mean the two were being.

"Hey, it's only tradition. Plus he's freshmeat _and_ the quarter. It's only natural that Jean does this."

Jean ran a hand through his two-toned hair and sighed.

"Well since Coach is running late I figured you could help out. You know, Mike and I can't do _everything_ around here."

"Oh of course!" Eren chirped. "What do you need?"

Jean sighed again. "Well since the game's tomorrow we figured we should definitely ramp up practice. While Coach gets here we could practice our tosses and catches."

At the mention of tosses Eren jumped up. He nodded furiously and inquired where to get the extra sack of footballs. Jean grinned and pointed towards the football field.

"There's a small shack by the food stand where we keep extra equipment. The extra key is on the side behind a broken piece of wood."

Eren nodded in understanding and took off. Once he was out of the gym Jean burst out laughing and glanced over at the rest of the team.

"Alright boys, phase one is complete. Reiner, Connie, go initiate phase two!"

The two boys nodded enthusiastically and sprinted out of the gym. Mike, who had been chatting with some other players, shook his head at Jean.

"The kid hasn't even been here a month. You got a grudge against him or something?"

Jean turned his face away. "It's only right. It's tradition."

Meanwhile, over by the football field, Eren was walking briskly across the field. He was humming to himself as the small equipment shack came into view. The brunette was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps coming from behind him. Reiner and Connie bumped into him, sending the quarterback flying.

He coughed up a tuft of grass and glared up at his teammates.

"What the hell was that for?!" he shrieked, standing up and brushing himself.

Connie bit his lip to prevent from laughing. Reiner rolled his eyes and jerked his thumb towards the gym.

"Jean wanted me to tell you that he forgot that the extra balls were moved. Coach took them and put them in his office."

Eren frowned. "Seriously? But doesn't only Coach have the keys for his office?"

Connie had calmed down a bit and shrugged. "I'm sure that there should be someone else in the office. It's not just his space you know."

"Alright alright I'll go. Tell Jean I'm on it."

The two boys grinned and sprinted off to the gym. Raising an eyebrow, Eren watched them dash off before shaking his head and head towards the coach offices. Thankfully the volleyball coach was in there gathering some paperwork so he let Eren in with ease. The sack of footballs wasn't there, much to Eren's dismay. Had Jean gotten confused?

Eren left the office and figured he would just go back to the gym and let Jean figure it out. Just as he was about to enter the hallway leading there Eld and Gunther appeared in front of him. They blocked his path and grinned down at him.

"Yo. Jean just remembered where they actually are."

"Is he pulling a joke on me or something?! This is the third place I'll be going to!"

Eren threw his hands up in frustration and frowned at the two taller guys. Gunther chuckled and leaned forward to rustle his hair.

"Jean is a dumbass. He's a good co-captain but he tends to be forgetful."

"I can see that," Eren grumbled under his breath.

Eld snorted. "Okay last one we promise! He said it should be in the other gym."

Trost High had two gymnasiums on its campus. The main one, the large one that was commonly referred to as Giant Gym, was were the basketball and volleyball games were held and practice as well. The smaller one was were the spirit teams practiced and the dance classes met. Eren was a bit confused since he had only been in the Giant Gym.

"Um, sure. Okay I'll find the other gym."

Gunther cocked his head to the side. "Do you know where it is?"

"Er, no. Heh, where is it?"

Eld gave him quick directions and ushered Eren off. The brunette wandered for a bit until he saw the tennis courts that were adjacent to the gym. Sighing in relief he kept walking until he heard someone call his name.

Moblit, the football manager and waterboy, was dashing towards him.

"Really?! Another wrong place?!" Eren yelled at him.

Moblit stopped in front of him and bent over, clutching his knees as he caught his breath. He held up a hand to signal to give him a minute. He stood up and smiled nervously at Eren.

"No, it's right. Jean wanted me to tell you that it'll be in the shed around the side."

"Is he sure this time?"

"Yup! Alright gotta go get the water bottles for practice ready. See ya!"

Eren sighed and walked a large circle around the gym. Just as the shed came into view thudding footsteps came from behind him. Before he could even turn around two strong pairs of hands swept him up and began carrying him towards the spirit team gym. He struggled to break free but it was of no use.

"HEY! PUT ME DOWN! SON OF A BITCH!"

As the two strangers carried him they began roughly removing his clothes. His Atlas Genius band shirt flew off and fluttered in the wind. Next his jeans came off and landed on the floor with a rough _thud_. He was left in nothing but his boxers with SpongeBob on them. He kicked and punched but the two guys didn't give up.

The gym doors flew open and he was tossed on the floor. He hadn't been aware of the noise before but he then became aware of how painfully quiet it was. The doors slammed shut, leaving behind a painfully awkward silence. Eren sat up quickly and glared around him. _Well, this gym is definitely much smaller_ he thought. He turned around and then froze at the sight behind him.

The cheerleaders were in their formation staring straight at _him_. Many of the girls still had their hands up in their high Vs, staring at Eren with wide eyes. Sasha was biting her lip in an effort to not laugh loudly. Hanji exchanged a quick look with Petra, the duo wondering what in the heck had just happened. When Eren's eyes slowly landed on the captain he felt himself shrink down from the hardened gaze he was giving the freshman.

"Er, hi?" Eren croaked, his hands flying up to cover his bare chest.

A small giggle escaped some of the girls as they put their arms down and examined him. He felt the color rushing to his face and he quickly turned his face away. The cheer manager, Auruo, sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What _the fuck_ are you doing here in nothing but your _boxers_?"

Eren couldn't process words and instead stared blankly back at him. The girls continued to giggle at his response and began whispering amongst themselves. Hanji skipped over to Levi and rested her elbow on his shoulder.

"Looks like the football boys just did one of their annual welcome pranks," she whispered, her eyes flitting all over Eren.

"I can see that," Levi hissed back, rolling his shoulders so her elbow flew off.

"What are you gonna do?"

Levi paused before sighing and glancing over his shoulder.

"Girls, take a five minute water break. Get into your stunt groups after."

Eren continued to stay planted in his spot, his whole body aflame with embarrassment. Levi continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes and slowly sauntered over to him. _What am I supposed to do?! What am I supposed to do?! Levi is gonna kill me! Well, there goes my professional football career!_ Eren thought as he scrambled to get away from him.

The cheerleaders had gotten quiet and watched the whole scene with wide eyes. Hanji stood in the middle, narrating the scene in a hushed voice. Auruo shook his head and began muttering under his breath about "stupid freshman and their stupid decisions." Levi sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"You must be fucking stupid to come in and interrupt our cheerleading practice. No one, and I mean _no one_, dares to do that."

Eren let out a high pitched squeak and began shaking his head frantically. He was still trying to form words but nothing coherent came out. Levi towered over him and glared down at him.

"Do you think this is a joke?"

Eren was shaking his head so fast that it looked almost like he was convulsing. The girls had gotten completely quiet; even Hanji had stopped her excited narrating. Levi leaned down a little bit and stomped his foot down. His foot landed in between Eren's shaking legs. There was a long silence following his action.

"You. Out. _Now_."

Eren jumped up and sprinted out the doors with Levi trailing right behind him. The cheerleaders tried to see what was happening before the doors shut. The freshman quarterback skidded to a stop and began practically pleading for his life.

"I am so sorry! I am _so sorry_! Jean had asked me to get balls and and I just . . . They kept leading me here – and I ju – but then these two –"

Levi continued to stare at him with his arms crossed over his chest. Eren continued to ramble on, gesturing wildly with wide eyes. The fear in his eyes had yet to fade and Levi couldn't help but feel a tad bit guilty. It was typical for the football players to prank the newest players; there was nothing he could do to prevent that. Sighing, he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose again. Eren had finally gotten quiet and was staring at Levi like a deer caught in headlights. The cheer captain sauntered forward but the frightened freshman took a shaky step back.

"I'm not going to lay a _finger_ on you, so relax."

Despite his words Eren did not show any physical signs of relaxing. Another sigh escaped Levi's lips and he took another step forward. This time Eren stayed put but was still tense, his shoulders hunched up tightly. Another step but this time his eyes got smaller, the fear slowly fading away.

"That's better. See, I didn't slap you or anything. Relax, kid."

Eren's shoulders slowly sagged down and his eyes returned to their normal size. The light of innocence that Levi always noticed glowed brightly, making his brilliant green eyes even more beautiful. The two stared at each other for a moment, trying to figure out the whole situation. Eren opened his mouth to say something but abruptly closed it, his cheeks beginning to turn a bright shade of red. He had realized in that moment that he was _still_ in just his boxers. Clearing his throat he crossed his arms sharply across his chest before sucking in a breath.

"I really am sorry, Levi. I understand how important practice is."

"No, no," he shook his head. "It's not your fault. I have heard of the football players' traditions. But they just chose the wrong practice to throw you into."

The color on his cheeks flamed out and Levi couldn't help but admit that it was kind of cute. The freshman scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and flashed a sheepish smile.

"Heh, I'll definitely try to get them back for this."

Levi gave a scoff, a smirk forming on his lips.

"You know, Jaeger, if you want to see me so bad, just spit it out already."

_What?!_

His eyes went wide immediately and he stared at Levi like he had suddenly grown five other heads. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he tried to form a response. Chuckling, Levi turned around and paused before the doors. He glanced at Eren over his shoulder and called his name.

"By the way, SpongeBob boxers, _really_? If you want to get laid at least get some regular boxers like the rest of us. Or at least invest in some boxer briefs. Yeesh."

Eren was certain that he had never blushed this hard in this life.

* * *

><p><strong>I SWEAR I DID NOT GIVE UP ON THIS STORY I HAVE BEEN SO BUSY I AM EXTREMELY SORRY ! I have been working so hard on this when I have the time , which is pretty rare . ANYHOO I had to include some sort of pranking from the football players . Poor Eren ! Levi just had to see him in his SpongeBob boxers haha . Let me know what you all thought ! I will try my hardest to update soon but no guarantees ! Until next time ! :D<strong>


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